Jackson County hit hardest by Monday night storm (w/video)

By SARA SNEATH -
May 13, 2014 at 12:13 a.m.

Work crews with the city of Victoria use chain saws to cut limbs into smaller sections for removal after an early morning storm brought rain, winds and thunder. Reports of downed tree limbs extended across Victoria, Edna and Ganado.

Power outages

According to the AEP website the following outages persisted Tuesday morning:

• Jackson County - 1,245 customers

• DeWitt County - 2 customers

• Goliad County - 44 customers

• Calhoun County - 180 customers

• Victoria County - 160 customers

When Ward Wyatt got to his father's ranch in Nursery on Tuesday morning, he thought a tornado had blown through.

"We came out, and the tin roof is blown off our barns, and there's one structure that looks like it collapsed like a house of cards," Wyatt, 27, of Austin, said.

Monday night's thunderstorms hit the cities of Edna and Ganado the hardest with power outages persisting Tuesday.

About 300 customers in Ganado were without power Tuesday morning, American Electric Power spokesman Elgin Janssen said.

"We did have outages throughout the Victoria service area, which included Goliad, Tivoli, Port Lavaca, Edna and Ganado," Janssen said.

Winds knocked over about 10 poles in the Ganado area Monday night.

"We have crews there in the process of replacing that equipment," Janssen said Tuesday.

The majority of the homes had power restored by 7 p.m. A handful of customers have damage to the equipment on their property. AEP will not be able to restore power until an electrician fixes the equipment, he said.

About 250 homes in Victoria were without power Tuesday morning as a result of service outages near Castle Hills West and North Ben Jordan Street.

"It's not actually the tanks that caught on fire. It was the vents that come off the top," Herchek said. "They're fairly easy to put out. We had one, put it out, went back to the station and then got called out to do two more."

City administrators in Victoria, Refugio, Seadrift, Goliad, Yorktown, Cuero and Hallettsville said no street flooding was reported within city limits.

"I think it was just an extremely strong storm that caused some severe damage on our ranch. Luckily, our cows are OK," Wyatt said. "But, you know, Lord knows we needed the rain."